Sri Lanka: Human Rights
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the recent excavations of a mass grave of Chemmani in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK Government is deeply concerned by the recent discovery of the mass grave in Chemmani. We remain committed to supporting accountability for human rights violations and we regularly meet the Government of Sri Lanka to discuss reconciliation and accountability and to press for tangible progress, particularly on cases of enforced disappearances. In January, I visited Sri Lanka and met a range of stakeholders including the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, civil society organisations, as well as political leaders in the north of Sri Lanka to discuss human rights. Officials at our High Commission in Colombo maintain close contact with families of the disappeared from across the country, working to ensure their voices are heard, and have raised this issue with the Government of Sri Lanka. We continue to lead international efforts such as at the UN Human Rights Council alongside the Core Group to ensure perpetrators are held to account.
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